Paraguay: Cardinal Martínez demands clarification of the deaths of an indigenous leader and teacher during an operation in Canindeyú

Following the deaths of indigenous leader Antonio Carrillo and Professor Catalino Correa during an operation carried out by the National Anti-Drug Secretariat (Senad) in the Ava Guaraní Tekoha Y’apo community in the department of Canindeyú, Cardinal Adalberto Martínez Flores, Metropolitan Archbishop of Asunción in Paraguay, expressed his condolences and called for a thorough investigation into the incident.

The cardinal joined the community’s call for the authorities to be present, listen to their pain, and stand by the families, as well as to investigate and clarify the events. “I join this call for presence, listening, and support,” he said.

Martínez Flores highlighted the service both men provided to their community. Carrillo was the leader of Tekoha Y’apo and the coordinator of an indigenous organization in Canindeyú, while Correa worked as a teacher for children and young people. “Their deaths have caused deep sorrow and have plunged the Ava Guaraní people into mourning,” he noted.

In light of the pain the community is going through, the archbishop reiterated his call for the authorities to be present and listen to the families. “The widows, the children asking about their teacher, and an entire community waiting for answers” need to be heard, he said.

Three days before the operation, the Ministry of the Interior officially received a petition from Antonio Carrillo and other leaders of Tekoha Y’apo, in which they warned of “attempts to dispossess them of their territory” and challenged accusations they considered “false and harmful to their dignity.”

In light of the differing accounts of what happened, the religious leader called on the authorities and the Public Prosecutor’s Office to clarify the facts through a “thorough” investigation that would reveal the truth and determine who is responsible.

The archbishop of Asunción also warned about other serious incidents reported during the proceedings and called on the authorities to investigate them. “These situations must also be investigated and clarified,” he said, while demanding assurances for the affected families and the entire community.

For the cardinal of Asunción, clarifying what happened requires an investigation that respects “the law and due process” and protects “the dignity, lives, and rights of indigenous peoples.”

Finally, the archbishop maintained that the enforcement of the law must provide safeguards for all people and ensure that “no crime goes unpunished.” In closing, he entrusted Carrillo and Correa’s eternal rest to God and expressed his solidarity with their families and the entire Ava Guaraní Tekoha Y’apo community.

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